Coming of Age in New Jersey: College and American Culture

Most books on "college kids" are nothing but anti-youth statistical messes. Moffat's generous phenomenological approach to the subject and refusal to make any broad generalizations make this book a truly amazing document. His analysis of "friendliness" as the dominant trope in American society, demonstrated in the micro-society of the dorm, is superb, as are his eye-opening conclusions about the trends that govern undergraduate sexuality.

The author is a faculty member in the Anthropology department at Rutgers University who decided to do a study of the students in traditional immersion fashion. To do this, he joined the incoming freshman class as an older student returning to school and lived in the dorm. The resulting book is a fascinating read, particularly for someone who was actually entering college around the same time as Moffatt's study. Moffatt covers the group dynamics, the forming and shifting of groups, and many of the aspects of college life.

One of the few college texts I actually READ. Required for a freshman anthropology class (this is almost 8 years ago now), I was thrilled by every word in this book... Easy to read, interesting, entertaining... I mistakenly loaned it to someone who never gave it back and have regretted it ever since. A must read for anyone interested in a look at college culture through the eyes of someone doing it again, 20 years after graduation.